Ephrem On Justice, Free Will And Divine Mercy In The Story Of The Fall

10.1163/ej.9789004184985.i-196.11

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Chapter Summary

This chapter focuses on Ephrems commentary and discusses a cluster of motifs pertaining to the story of Adam and Eve in paradise which have not been much discussed in the context of Ephrems commentary. Those motifs, taken as a whole, may present an appropriate framework for delineating traits of Ephrems religious anthropology and exegesis. The general approach of Ephrem to the story of the fall is characterized by an ongoing attempt to exculpate God from any vicious intent toward Adam and Eve. The exegesis of divine mercy in the Midrash is focused on the pre-creation interplay between God and his heavenly powers, whereas in Ephrem it is integrated into an anthropological framework reflecting Ephrems emphasis on the moral drama as the axis of the story of the fall and the subsequent human predicament.